Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert and advice columnist. She'll be here every week helping to answer your filthiest questions. Are you dirty? Email her.

Faithful reader of your columns and soon to be buyer of your book. I have an issue with congealed oil on an enameled cast iron pot, specifically the bottom of it—I was doing some deep frying and had a brief bubble-over. The only real negative was that because I didn't clean it right away, I now have gummy oil on the bottom of the pot. What's the best way to clean this? I throw myself at the feet of your considerable expertise.

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This question is fantastic for a number of reasons, the first and most important of which is that I have an answer for you. Actually, I have a whole bunch of answers for you. That's one of the reasons I like this question so much: It's going to allow me to tell you a bit about my philosophy when it comes to cleaning advice, in addition to giving you the actual cleaning advice. So that's nice! I also like this question because I do very much appreciate when you guys go out and buy my book. Thank you for that! Usually, I remove the kind opening words before running your emails in this column, but in this case I left in the bit about the book so that I can mention this: There's a bunch of information in there about cleaning enameled cast iron cookware such as Le Creuset and Staub, so if you're a collector of those things the book might be helpful for you.

This question, however, isn't one I addressed in the book. So today we shall get into what to do about sticky oil residue on pots, as well as on pans, cookie sheets, and other kinds of cookware.

Before we talk about the variety of products that can be employed to remove oily residue, let's talk about tools since, especially in the kitchen, the use of the right (or wrong) type of tool can make a huge difference. There are a lot of different kinds of scrubbers one can use in the kitchen—regular sponges, sponges with scrubber backs, soap-impregnated steel wool like Brillo pads, copper scrubbers like the Chore Boy, and on and on and on. In this case, the use of a Scotch-Brite Dobie Pad, a non-scratch scrubber sponge, is going to help to scrub the sticky grease off your enameled cast iron without damaging the beautiful finish. So get one of those.

When it comes to what product to use, there are loads of options. I'll go through a bunch but not all of them, because otherwise we'd be here all day and there are pots in need of cleaning! This brings us nicely to the philosophy part of things, which is pretty simple: There's a sweet spot I aim for when it comes to helping you out with your cleaning conundrums that hits on the cheapest and most accessible options, the right choice for people who are environmentally oriented, as well as commercial and/or heavy-duty products for those who want to grab something from the hardware store that will, like, blast through whatever mess needs cleaning. The bigger point to be made here is that everyone approaches the world in different ways and that's OK, which is why I do my best to be all things to all people.

With that philosophical detour behind us, let's start with the cheapest and most accessible option out there for removing that sticky, oily buildup from your cookware: baking soda. I told you it was cheap and accessible! In this situation, what you want to do with the baking soda is to mix it with a small amount of water to form a paste, then apply it in a thick layer to the sticky bits, and let it sit for about 30 minutes before scrubbing it off using that Dobie Pad I mentioned.

While it's entirely likely that plain old baking soda and water will do the trick, it's also likely that it won't. Or maybe you just want to go to the store and buy something new? That's totally fine!

The next set of options, Bar Keepers Friend and Bon Ami, are going to be on the eco-friendly side of things in that they're gentle cleansers as well as being multi-purpose—go ahead and use them to scrub pots and pans, as well as stovetops, bathtubs, grills, cymbals, etc. Yes, cymbals, you read that right. You'll use those products in almost exactly the same way as baking soda, by mixing in water to make a paste. The Dobie Pad will be helpful in this scenario as well, though you could certainly also use a regular sponge or a rag. Just note that, as with the baking soda technique, both time and a bit of elbow grease will be required to fully rid the pot of its sticky buildup.

Now we can get into the big guns. Depending on your feelings on fumes, you'll either be totally psyched or entirely horrified by these products. Actually, that's not really fair—some of the commercial degreasers, like De-Solv-It, are biodegradable and don't require the use of protective gloves. But beware of products, like Zep Heavy-Duty Citrus Degreaser, that can look non-toxic but that are, indeed, quite toxic. Here's the thing about that Zep stuff: It may not be the most environmentally friendly choice out there but it works, like, crazy good. Another option that's great on sticky grease buildup is plain old ammonia. Just like the Zep stuff, if you choose to clean with ammonia always wear protective gloves and make sure you're working in a well-ventilated area. A side note on ammonia in the kitchen: It's The Thing for removing that pesky sticky film that can develop on cabinet fronts and vent hoods. There's probably a longer discussion to be had on that subject, so we'll save the details for another day, but it's worth mentioning while we're here. One other really important thing to mention in any discussion of using ammonia for cleaning is that it should never, ever be mixed with bleach or products that contain bleach. The combination of those two things will create toxic fumes, and you'll die, the end. Then there you'll be, dead before you've had a chance to clean your enameled cast iron pot and everyone will think you live like an animal. Let's not allow that to happen.